"Buffet of the Universe": Deeper Themes in Beasts of the Southern Wild

“Buffet of the Universe”: Deeper Themes in Beasts of the Southern Wild

Benh Zeitlin’s 2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild uses the story of a rural community in Southern Louisiana to evoke themes such as classism and community ties. Zeitlin is successful in reminding us of our connectedness with each other and the world around us, and the Americana aesthetic of the film reflects our heroes’ resiliency in the face of destruction. At stake in this aesthetic and the exploration of these politically charged themes is a commentary on how we can connect to each other across racial, economic, and social divides. The community at the focus of the film, known affectionately by its residents as “the Bathtub”, would appear to be a population in the depths of poverty. But to the colorful collection of inhabitants, it’s heaven on earth. Everything they have is salvaged, built by hand, caught, or grown. In opposition to the scrappy environment of the Bathtub, an industrialized city lies adjacent to the waters that the community sits on. The placement of the city is deliberate, with a levee keeping the water, and the residents of the Bathtub, out. Though the levee doesn’t break in the path of what it was intentionally built to keep out (the storm), it is destroyed by what it symbolically keeps out (the people of the Bathtub). The distinction between the groups is revealed early, in a scene where Hushpuppy and Wink ride along the levee in their dilapidated boat. “Ain’t that ugly?” Wink asks Hushpuppy. The looming smoke stacks past the wall further indicate the juxtaposition between the utopian society of the Bathtub and the dismal dystopia beyond the levee. The community is resentful of the higher class that “cut them off”, going so far as to break the levee to drain the damaging salt water out of the Bathtub and into the city. These actions argue that there needs to be a change in the societal perspectives of the “lower class” by emphasizing the conditions and humanity of the Bathtub without showing much of the other side of the levee. However, in the destruction of the barrier that separates the Bathtub from their modernized neighbors, the stage is set for a development to be made in how those relationships should work. It isn’t until a mandatory evacuation is called that the audience meets anyone from the other side, and when we do, they reflect a common train of thought of the more developed class: those living in seemingly impoverished situations can’t help themselves so those with the means to should help them, whether they like it or not. What the members of the industrialized community think is best for the Bathtub is very different from what the Bathtub residents want or need. The film attempts to rethink this idea by the Bathtub residents meeting the “rescue attempt” with aggressive resistance. It takes multiple search teams and helicopters to pry the residents from their beloved community, and the audience receives a visual depiction of class barriers at work in the treatment of the Bathtub by the government forces. In portraying these class relations, Zeitlin seems to be invested in the valorization of the lifestyle of the Bathtub. Though the characters live life without the industrialization of the neighboring community, their times together are full of meaningful connections and contact with nature, as evidenced particularly in an early scene where the Bathtub is taking part of a celebration full of music and fireworks. The audience doesn’t know exactly what is being celebrated, but we get the feeling that this is a common occurrence for the residents of this vibrant community. Zeitlin especially utilizes Hushpuppy as symbol to further develop these themes of poverty and dispute between classes. Hushpuppy, strong willed and resourceful, is wise beyond her years and outspoken. The idea that those in lower classes aren’t given a proper voice is explored through Hushpuppy’s interactions with her father, her community, and herself. Hushpuppy’s upbringing slightly isolated from her father creates in Hushpuppy a desire to be heard, a characteristic reflective of the Bathtub’s, and many “lower class” groups. She foreshadows the explosion of the levee when she sets her homestead on fire in opposition to her absent father. Working through this, Zeitlin develops Hushpuppy to be viewed as an equal by her community, just as the community of the Bathtub should be viewed as an equal to those around them. The redemption of the Bathtub comes in the form of the deliverance of its residents from the shelter and the control of the upper class. Before they are forcibly removed from their home, the residents of the Bathtub rise up from the wreckage of the storm, taking care of one another and attempting to rebuild their homes. Once in the shelter, the energy and spirit of the Bathtub seems depleted, evidenced by Hushpuppy’s solemn attitude amidst children playing around her. In Wink’s failing health, the Bathtub’s residents return to their home to give him a proper send off. Wink’s death and their return are indicative of their new start in the Bathtub. What was once taken is now in their possession once again, as they have escaped the grip of the rescue teams and shelter workers. It almost seems as if their stay in the shelter acted as a payment for their destruction of the levee, with the residents being redeemed in their return. Rising against adversity and oppression is not a new theme in the American story, and the Bathtub residents weave right in just as New Orleanians did post-Katrina. The civilized bureaucracy of the shelter caused the community to fall away from what they stood for, but their resiliency allowed them to return home. The environment of the Bathtub is full of life, so naturally all things living will come to an end and bring death to the community. But the scenery and tone of the Bathtub suggests that its residents don’t necessarily see death as something to be afraid of, and everyday is a celebration. Zeitlin even lends to this idea in the aesthetic of the film. Scenes in the Bathtub are rich in color, light, and depth of the shot. The shelter, however, is sterile and bland. While the Bathtub was bright with life, the shelter is bright with fluorescent lighting and white walls. The ecosystem of the Bathtub is as diverse as its population, and it’s evident that those who live there love and respect the ground they walk on and the animals they share their home with. The congruent relationship that the Bathtub residents share with nature can be read as a way of further emphasizing the juxtaposition between classes. It raises the question of whether or not that kind of relationship can create a balance of industry and conservation, a balance that could help communities like the Bathtub come together with more industrial cities. The conversation on global warming is touched upon in the images of ice caps collapsing and industries aerating waste into the Louisiana sky. The ecosystem of the Bathtub has been torn apart by this enormous storm, a storm that would likely be attributed to global warming by environmentalists and media outlets during the coverage of its wake. Though the residents live in an incredibly eco-friendly community, creating a small carbon footprint is not one of their concerns. At least, not in the way that it has become a concern of modern society. Their respect for the earth and its inhabitants results in the creation of this kind of society, rather than the creation of this society resulting in a new respect for the earth, and it would seem that this message is one for all communities like the industrial neighbors of the Bathtub. Ultimately, Beasts of the Southern Wild can be read as a celebration of American individualism, as Zeitlin draws out the heartbeat of the resilient community of the Bathtub in a way that draws us close to the residents. Class wars, tight knit communities facing decimation, and even environmental issues are explored, creating an ecosystem that could be a caricature of any town in America today. Beasts of the Southern Wild, while exploring issues such as poverty and classism, uses images of the destruction of the Bathtub to create a conversation on the importance of respecting our environment and most importantly, each other.